Torino vs. Juventus (0-1): 6 Things We Learned

A solitary strike from Paul Pogba was enough to give Antonio Conte's side their third successive victory in the league after dropping points at Inter.

The winning habit is still there, but the Bianconeri have not put in a sensational performance since their demolition of Lazio.

Galatasaray await midweek in the Champions League. The Old Lady will have to be more efficient in their performance to kick-start their European campaign after a disappointing draw in Copenghagen.

Defensive tactics from Torino almost worked, but too much pressure falls on the shoulders of Alessio Cerci.

Giampiero Ventura's side continue to be stubborn and resilient, but they are badly lacking that extra spark in the final third and when Cerci is unable to produce some magic, they look completely lost.

Here are six things that we learned from the Derby.

Giovinco Is a Shadow of the Player We Saw at Parma

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Against Torino, Sebastian Giovinco had a rare opportunity to stake a claim for a more permanent role in the Juve lineup.

"Formica Atomica" started alongside Carlos Tevez in a partnership that appeared to hold much potential.

With Carlitos scurrying into the space behind the opposition's defence, holding onto the last man, combined with Giovinco's winding dribbles and tendency to slip his strike partner in with his vision, it appeared as if Antonio Conte might have stumbled across an effective partnership.

But Giovinco frustrated throughout, holding on to the ball for far too long, dribbling away from Tevez and being blocked out by a crowd of Torino shirts.

The 26-year-old is a shadow of the player he once was during his time with Parma and an inability to make the right decision is holding him back as he attempts to make it at the next level with the Old Lady.

With close control and the ability to shift his weight from one side to another, due to his low centre of gravity, Giovinco should be a valuable member of this Bianconeri side.

"Atom Ant" tends to fall over and crumble when faced with a physical confrontation, is in stark contrast to a more determined player that we saw under the guidance of Pasquale Marino, Franco Colomba and Roberto Donadoni.

Time is running out for Giovinco to convince Conte that he merits a regular place in the team and the Bianconeri might be convinced to sell if there is not a drastic change in his form.

Paul Pogba Cannot Be Dropped Right Now

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Paul Pogba in this form is undroppable, which is good and bad for Conte.

On the one hand, he gives Conte a superb midfielder capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch and knitting together the team's transitions from defence to attack.

The 20-year-old does pose a slight problem, though. While the Frenchman is in the side, Conte must decide whether to play both Claudio Marchisio, coming off his recent injury. Conte also has Andre Pirlo, who sat out the Torino encounter with the Galatasaray match high on his agenda.

If all four midfielders, including Arturo Vidal as well, are to start for the Bianconeri, Juve will be heavily reliant on Carlos Tevez in a lone-forward role.

A switch of formation may begin to creep into Conte's thoughts as Mirko Vucinic is one of his favourites, while Fernando Llorente is gradually staking a claim to start regularly, too.

Pogba's form is nothing short of remarkable though and on current form, there is an argument to suggest he is Juve's best player at this moment.

Ventura's Tactics Worked, Despite Defeat

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Giampiero Ventura's tactics must be applauded, even though the result did not go his way in the derby.

The Granata basically fielded a 5-3-1-1, with Alessio Cerci in the hole behind Ciro Immobile.

There was license for Danilo D'Ambrosio and Matteo Darmian to push forward and offer support in the wide areas, but these are ostensibly full-backs.

By starting deep, D'Ambrosio and Darmian prevented Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah from reaching the byline and producing crosses across the six-yard box.

Toro were happy for Juve's wide men to drive crosses in from deeper areas as Carlos Tevez and Sebastian Giovinco faced tough aerial battles against the three centre-backs Kamil Klik, Guillermo Rodriguez and Emiliano Moretti.

Giuseppe Vives, Matteo Brighi and Omar El Kaddouri were able to provide a screen in front of the defence and forced Juve to try their hand at adventurous through passes.

The fact that the opener came from a set piece is telling, as the Bianconeri were unable to conjure up any substantial chances from open play, predominantly due to the organisation and tactical discipline instilled by Ventura.

Immobile Is Not the Right Type of Striker for This Formation

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Ciro Immobile relies heavily on sharp movement off the last line of defence and clinical finishing mostly inside the penalty area.

Ventura is currently using him as a lone striker, with Alessio Cerci looking to support him in a more reserved role.

The problem is that Torino's play can be rather predictable. The centre-midfield trio rarely vary their distribution because Immobile is incapable of holding the ball up against top centre-backs such as Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli.

Everything is therefore directed into the feet of Cerci, meaning that the opposition can prejudge this by surrounding the Azzurri international.

A more physical striker with the ability to move both ways would be ideal, somebody in the shape of German Denis, who would be able to also take advantage of Cerci's delivery from wide areas with that aerial advantage.

Juve Missed Pirlo's Passing Variety

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Juventus rested Andrea Pirlo ahead of the Champions League next week, but a combination of stifling tactics from Torino and the absence of a pace-setter disrupted the Old Lady's flow and ability to stamp their authority on this match.

The Bianconeri possess plenty of quality in the midfield without Pirlo, with Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio offering a midfield trio that would be looked on by the majority of Europe with an envious eye.

But that trio lacks a leader, somebody capable of organising the midfield and distributing both short and long to adapt to the negative tactics of the opposition.

Pirlo is the orchestrator, as much as the play maker. The derby showed us that it's Pirlo's intangible skills, as much as his ability on the ball that makes the Bianconeri tick.

Tevez Needs More Continuity in Attack

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Carlos Tevez had an off day against Torino and when Galatasaray come to Turin next week, the Argentine will need to be more clinical in front of goal.

Carlitos could not find his range in the derby, aiming several shots into the stands and never really threatening Daniele Padelli's goal.

If Conte is to field four centre-midfielders due to the excellent form of Paul Pogba, Juve will require Tevez to be red hot in front of goal to compensate for the lack of an additional striker.

The Bianconeri are controlling games with their formidable midfield, but they require Tevez to take his chances in front of goal, or opponents will continue to deploy similarly negative tactics to the Granata.